ROCK Ministries International
R.O.C.K. Ministries International began in 1996 as a non-profit organization in Lake Elsinore, California, reaching underprivileged and at-risk children with the love of Jesus and helping to integrate families into local church communities. On having the opportunity to travel to Kenya with World Vision the founder, Elaine Yi, was deeply impacted by the children she saw living in poverty on the streets. She moved the ministry from California to Kenya to open a children's home for orphans who were surviving on the streets of Kisumu, a large city located on the banks of Lake Victoria. Land was eventually purchased in Malava, near Kakamega, and the children's home moved out of the big city in 2008 into the beautiful countryside where it has remained to this day. Elaine passed on the directorship in 2020 to her dear friend and accountant of 15 years, Teresa Boyani, who is carrying the vision of R.O.C.K. Ministries International into the future.
Currently there are 16 children cared for in the children's home and an additional ten whose school fees are paid for by the ministry. The children’s home maintains a family atmosphere and meets all the needs of the children including emotional, spiritual, social, educational, and physical all the way through young adulthood. The young adults receive assistance with trade school or university, depending on their test scores, and receive encouragement and emotional support even as they are being launched into independence.
Five years ago Malava Christian Academy began on the campus property with a preschool. Grades one through three were added one grade at a time and now, in 2024, grade four was added as well with the current registration being over 115 students. The end goal will be to offer education from preschool through secondary school. All of the staff for both the children's home and school are Kenyan and many of them have been hired from the local community. All of them have a passion for education and a desire to see these children succeed in life.
The ministry is funded by donations from loving and generous individuals. In time animal projects (chickens, pigs, and cows) will be introduced to help subsidize donations and be the first step towards the ministry eventually becoming self-funded. The current project managers of R.O.C.K. Ministries International under the 501c3 of New Horizons Foundation are Kyon and Cindy Yi, the son and daughter-in-law of the original founder, Elaine Yi. Their desire is to honor Elaine, who passed away in June of 2023, and give glory to God, as they passionately carry on the support of this ministry into the future.
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress...” (James 1:27a)
Our Mission:
R.O.C.K. Ministry International's goal is to share the transforming love and favor of God with the children in our care by nurturing them (providing physical, spiritual, and emotional care) and empowering them through education to discover their God-given gifts and purpose as contributing members of their communities and ambassadors of Christ's love.
Our Vision:
R.O.C.K. Ministry International's vision is to become a source of hope, healing, and restoration for families through the knowledge of Christ’s deep love and the empowerment of education.
